Belgrade, 22 February 2024 – With the financial support by the European Union, the Institute Mihailo Pupin installed a smart open-space air-purifying system, within the zone of the “Ušće” Mall in Belgrade. The system uses kinetic and wind energy in purifying air, which makes it energy neutral, and it is expected to significantly decrease the amount of PM particles and other pollutants.   

“Improving air quality is among the priorities of the Serbian Government and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. We invest significant resources in replacing boiler rooms in public buildings and individual heating facilities, as well as in subsidies for electric vehicles. We also support innovations such as this smart air-purifying system, in order to see in practice in what way such innovations may contribute to us having better air,” said Sandra Dokić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. 

The smart air-purifying system has been installed in front of the “Ušće” Mall, because in this location air is particularly polluted, due to heavy traffic, while many people are simultaneously exposed to this pollution. This system consists of three types of devices: an innovative generator installed in the mall’s garage, which transforms the kinetic energy of a car passing over an electric floor crossing board into the electric energy, a wind turbine placed between the two towers of the “Ušće” complex, using the wind energy to make electricity, and two air purifiers at the square in front of the mall, using water filters to purify the air within the 25 meter radius, considerably decreasing the amount of the suspended PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles and other pollutants. 

“A recent UNDP research poll concerning the opinions of the citizens of Serbia to environment and climate changes showed, third year in a row, that the issue of air pollution is the environmental problem that concerns the citizens the most. We therefore need more accessible and easily implemented solutions for better air, such as this one,” said Fabricio Andreuzzi, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia. 

He invited innovators from both private and public sector, as well as civil society organisations and researcher having some ideas to improve air quality and environment, to apply to the Public Call for Innovative Solutions in Green Transition, within the “EU for Green Agenda in Serbia” project.  

“This system has been designed so that it can also be installed in other locations, such as bus stops and hospitals, thus improving the quality of air in urban environments. To solve the problem of air pollution requires systemic solutions and radical changes, these being time-consuming and expensive. On the other hand, this system could alleviate the problems within 1-2 years in case it becomes disseminated,” pointed out Professor Aleksandar Rodić, the leader of the team within the Institute Mihailo Pupin, which developed this innovative solution.  

Partner of the Institute in making this system, in addition to the “Ušće” Mall, was “Model 5”, a company from Belgrade. 

“Smart Air-purifying System” is one of 52 innovative solutions supported thus far within the project “EU for Green Agenda in Serbia”. This project has been implemented by the United Nations Development Programme with the technical and financial support by the European Union, in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), where additional funding has been provided by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.